Called to kindness

BY JOAN CULLER

“Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved ... kindness …” Colossians 3:12

A while back I had a day that didn’t start out very well. I overslept—yes, even retired people can do this. My husband and I had to jump up and rush around so that he could get to his breakfast meeting with another pastor and I could be ready to drive our granddaughter to school. I didn’t have time for breakfast, and when Katelyn arrived, she was being a typical Monday morning teenager—rolling her eyes, shrugging instead of answering my questions, looking generally bored and unhappy. When we started out the door, I wasn’t in a good mood.

Then something happened. We got to her school and pulled up to the drop off area. It was a gusty day and one of the teachers on duty came right up to our passenger door. He opened it saying, “It’s windy, so I want to make sure your door doesn’t get away from you and is closed tightly.” And then, “Hello Katelyn, have you got everything?”

He gave me a little wave. I hadn’t said a word, but his kind and helpful manner changed my attitude. Instead of feeling irritable and grouchy because of my growling stomach, I was suddenly happy and thankful. It’s nice to be noticed and treated helpfully and personally. Kindness turned my outlook and my day around.

So my question is, why don’t we all do this more often? Why don’t we take the time to see the people around us as people and realize that our behavior may make or break their day? It doesn’t really take much effort to be courteous, to say thank you, to be patient when someone is struggling or new on the job, to address people by their names if we know them or see them on a name tag, to offer help or hold a door or just say, “Have a blessed day.”

Did someone’s kindness make your day today? Thank them and thank God.

Culler is a member of St. Paul’s Evangelical Lutheran, Hagerstown, Md. “Flower Arrangement,” by Anthonie van den Bos (1778-1838).